Honest opinions needed

[Neugene]

First, I am an Explorer SE user. My son has shown an interest in getting started in the hobby and has a birthday coming up. This creates the perfect opportunity for me to have a second detector in the house without causing my wife's head to explode.
I bought him an X-terra 70, which is still in the box awaiting his b'day, and then heard about the F75.
The dealer I bought it from is being really cool in that he said that if I want an F75 I just need to bring the X-terra back and pay the difference in cost.
I have no experience with either of these machines so I hate to try and decide which one to buy.
I/we hunt local parks, several civil war era home sites and campgrounds, old (really old) school yards etc. with an occasional trip to the beach and hopefully to Delonegah, Ga. to nugget shoot.
I need to keep it simple enough for him to enjoy using it, but good enough that I will want to keep it as a back up if he looses interest in the hobby.
I am not sure about the F75's ability to deal with saltwater beaches or gold nuggets. I am trying to decide which detector is more well rounded.
Realizing that this is a F75 forum I expect everyone to lean toward that machine, but I have to ask anyway. Which one would choose if you were in my situation and why?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Big Boys Hobbies]

I am in the process of selling my beloved SE after getting and using my new F75 on a few hunts. So yes......I really like the F75.

HH, Stoops

 

[MIG73]

n/t

 

[Neugene]

What is it that you like most about the F75? Why is it that much better than the Explorer?

 

[BuckeyeBrad]

between the 75, 70, and SE (and it's not!) I'd take and recommend the 75 just on it's ability to ID VERY well when in all metal mode. I do have all three detectors by the way.

 

[Neugene]

When you say that all else is not equal, what do you mean specifically?

 

[Low-Boy/LCPM]

The F75 is better in the dry sand then in the wet sand and I know it will hunt nuggets but have not heard from anyone on this subject. But for turf and relic hunting this detector is a blast. It is fast in iron and deep in bout turf and relic hunting. It does make a lot of noise but it doesn't matter becasue when you hit a good taret it tells you.